Several weeks after the last big OS updates shipped to the public, new beta software is finally available for Apple’s devices. Beta 1 updates include tvOS 18.4, HomePod 18.4, and more.

Apple’s newest beta cycle has finally arrived. Today the company has released macOS Sequoia 15.4 beta 1 alongside a variety of other updates for developers.

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

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Apple is releasing the first beta of visionOS 2.4 today, and it just might be the biggest update yet for Apple Vision Pro users. The update brings support for Apple Intelligence, major improvements to Guest Mode, a new Spatial Gallery app, an Apple Vision Pro app for iPhone, and more. Here’s everything you need to know…

“Apple Vision Pro is helping users communicate, collaborate, and experience entertainment in entirely new ways — and we’re continuing to push the boundaries of what’s possible in spatial computing with visionOS 2.4,” said Mike Rockwell, Apple’s vice president of the Vision Products Group. “With Apple Intelligence, Vision Pro users will be able to take their productivity and creativity to new heights using features like Writing Tools, Image Playground, and Genmoji. And we’re excited for users to discover and share incredible new experiences with Spatial Gallery.”

Apple has released the long-awaited first beta of iOS 18.4 to developer testers. Apple announced the release of the beta in a press release today touting Apple Intelligence.

Apple Intelligence, the personal intelligence system that delivers helpful and relevant intelligence, will soon be available in more languages, including French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (simplified) — as well as localized English for Singapore and India.

These new languages will be accessible in nearly all regions around the world with the release of iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS Sequoia 15.4 in April, and developers can start to test these releases today.

iPhone 16e pre-order day is here, and we have already detailed some of the new magnetic case collections from Spigen and others, but it’s now time for the deals. Alongside iPhone 16e screen protectors from $3 each as well as MagSafe cases from $10, we also have the return of Apple Watch Series 10 Black Friday pricing from $329. Those offers also join the $200 price drops on M3 MacBook Air models and the most affordable M4 MacBook Pro at 1,399, as well as deals on AirTags, ongoing M4 Mac mini discounts, and an iPhone 15 offer at $299 off the original list price. All of that and more awaits below in today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break.

Apple’s iPhone 16e launch came with several surprises this week, one of which involved price. And unfortunately, it may not be the last big price change we see on the iPhone this year.

Apple’s first product of the year, the iPhone 16e, debuted this week. But there are five more launches expected in the next few weeks and months. Here’s a look at what’s coming.

Apple is removing the option to enable Advanced Data Protection for iCloud users in the United Kingdom. This feature let users fully protect their data stored in iCloud with end-to-end encryption. However, a recent UK government order forces companies like Apple to put backdoors in its encryption systems.

Rather than comply and compromise Advanced Data Protection, Apple is left with no choice but to remove the feature altogether. In a statement to 9to5Mac, Apple said that current users of ADP in the UK will eventually need to disable the security feature in order to keep using their iCloud account. Full statement after the break …

I guess I’m far from alone in having non-techy friends ask my advice on which Apple device to buy. I always start by asking what’s important to them, and what they want to do with it.

For Macs, my advice changed significantly after the launch of the M1 MacBook Air. Prior to that, my answer to the question “which Mac should I buy for basic tasks like email, web, and writing” was quite often “buy an iPad and keyboard instead” …

The iPhone 16e is a unique phone for many reasons. The most notable feature, however, is that it includes Apple’s first-ever cellular modem, the C1. In an interview with Reuters this week, Johny Srouji, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Hardware Technologies, teased that the C1 is “just the start” of Apple’s work in this industry.

Meanwhile, Andru Edwards also had the opportunity to tour Apple’s modem testing labs for a behind-the-scenes look at what went into the development of the new C1 modem.

Apple is now streaming Onside: Major League Soccer, a new docuseries from the makers of Drive to Survive. It covers the drama of the 2024 MLS season, with behind the scenes access to players and managers from across the league.

The entire eight episode season is now available to watch on Apple TV+, Apple’s streaming service. MLS Season Pass subscribers also get access to the first episode for free, giving them a taster of the tone of the series.

Apple’s new iPhone is officially available for pre-order. You can head to Apple’s website now to place your pre-order for the iPhone 16e, with the first orders slated to arrive on Friday, February 28. The device will also hit Apple retail stores on that day.

Here’s a brief recap of what to expect from the iPhone 16e.

The iPhone 16e lacks support for MagSafe charging, an omission that has dominated conversations about Apple’s cheapest iPhone model this week. Initially, there was speculation that MagSafe might have been excluded due to interference with Apple’s C1 chip, which is its first-ever cellular modem designed for the iPhone.

Yesterday, Apple confirmed that the C1 has nothing to do with the omission of MagSafe on the iPhone 16e. New testing conducted by an iPhone case accessory manufacturer and shared with 9to5Mac adds more detail to the situation.

The iPhone 16e is powered by the A18 chip, but there’s one difference between its GPU and the version in the chip that powers the iPhone 16. While the iPhone 16 has a 5-core GPU, the iPhone 16E has a 4-core GPU.

New Geekbench results for the iPhone 16e reveal just how much of a performance impact buyers can expect, plus a few other tidbits about the device.

If you’re coming from an iPhone 8 Plus or iPhone XS, Apple’s newest iPhone may look like a downgrade when it comes to the camera. Fortunately, there’s more than meets the eye in Apple’s latest iPhone camera.

Brought to you by Uniq: Check out the new rugged cases from Uniq including the glow in the dark Combat Active iPhone case featuring a textured grip for ultimate control and a reflective lanyard. And the Stride SE, a high-performance Apple Watch sports band built tough with durable FKM.

Yesterday, Apple launched the new iPhone 16e, the cheapest new iPhone model in the lineup. It brings Apple Intelligence, Face ID, USB-C, the 48MP Fusion camera, and much more – all down to a starting price of just $599.

Obviously, the iPhone 16e is a noteworthy upgrade over the iPhone SE 3. However, there’s an easy comparison to be made to previous generation entry-level iPhones, such as the iPhone 12, 13, 14 and even iPhone 15 – for many great reasons. We’ll be diving into that here.

Tripsy, a popular app to help users plan and organize their trips, has just received another major update with some useful new features. The new version of the app makes it easier for users to check their expenses in different currencies and also to see nearby places on a map.

Insta360 introduced the Flow 2 Pro earlier this year, the company’s latest smartphone gimbal – which I reviewed here on 9to5Mac. Now the company has just announced a new accessory for Flow 2 Pro owners. Called the “AI Tracker,” the accessory is a module with a built-in camera sensor to improve the tracking of people and objects.

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

Sponsored by ChargeASAP: Check out the Flash Pro Ultra, featuring a new 275W power bank with an OLED screen that can charge up to 6 devices simultaneously, including your MacBook, phone, smartwatch, and more!

This is Rumor Replay, a weekly column at 9to5Mac offering a quick rundown of the most recent Apple product rumors, with analysis and commentary. Today: iPhone 17 rumors and camera bars galore, plus Siri delays and Vision Pro upgrades. Here are this week’s Apple rumors.

Benjamin and Chance discuss the newly announced iPhone 16e, some peculiarities in feature omissions, and exactly what market a lower-cost iPhone actually serves. There’s also exciting new rumors about a second-generation Studio Display, and more doubts about whether Apple will be able to deliver Siri intelligence features in the short-term.

And in Happy Hour Plus, Humane shuts up shop and sells to HP. We reflect on the failings of the Ai Pin idea. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.

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If aliens exist, Apple may be about to tell the origin story of how we found out…

Apple TV+ is hitting new highs this year, powered in large part by Severance’s massive success. Just a day after announcing that Severance is the streamer’s most viewed show ever, now Apple has shared that the just-released film, The Gorge, had the best launch ever for a movie on TV+.

Internally at 9to5Mac, there have been a few conversations about the lack of releases in new HomeKit cameras in recent years. The challenge with HomeKit Secure Video is that the manufacturer sees no option for recurring revenue, so I suspect that might be part of it. The wait for something new is over, though. Today, Aqara has released the new Pro with HomeKit Secure Video support. I’ve had my hands on one for the last two weeks, so I am excited to share my experience.

Apple clearly has a target audience in mind for the new iPhone 16e. The company is also rather forthcoming about the future of the iPhone 16e.

Apple TV+ has gained a strong reputation for its lineup of sci-fi shows, including its new most popular series ever: Severance. Now, the company has just announced the release date for its next big sci-fi show. It’s called Murderbot, and it hits Apple TV+ this spring.

Apple remixed the 2025 iPhone lineup this week, outdating all existing buying advice until September. That’s when we expect the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and new ultra-thin version likely called iPhone 17 Air. Between now and then, however, there’s one piece of buying advice everyone should hear first.

The new iPhone 16e has a lot going for it, but one surprising shortcoming is its lack of MagSafe support. Some have theorized that Apple’s new C1 modem is the reason, but Apple has just denied that rumor completely.

Apple CEO Tim Cook is back in Washington D.C. today just a few weeks after donating to and attending Donald Trump’s second presidential inauguration.

All of the day’s best deals on Apple gear are now up for grabs headlined by a rare discount on the latest M4 Mac mini lineup. You’ll find all of the stock configurations marked down at Amazon for the first time in months with offers starting from $549 and up to $105 in savings. We then move over to the MacBook lineup – the latest M3 Airs with 16GB of RAM are now starting from $899, which is $200 off of the new list prices and $400 under the price they fetched before the RAM upgrade, as well as the most affordable M4 MacBook Pro down at $1,399 ($200 off). All of that joins a host of accessory deals, some new iPhone 16e case offers, and more. 

Apple’s new iPhone 16e packs many of the modern features of the iPhone 16 into a more budget-friendly package that could be enticing to upgraders—especially those using an iPhone 14. Here’s a full iPhone 16e vs 14 comparison.

A number of case makers are rising to the challenge and fixing Apple’s most baffling design decision for its latest iPhone.

Apple just launched its brand new C1 modem yesterday with the iPhone 16e. But there’s another new Apple-designed chip coming soon, and per one report, it’s coming to the full iPhone 17 lineup.

NSO’s Pegasus spyware is one of the most frightening privacy threats an iPhone owner can face. Without you taking any action at all, it’s able to completely take over your phone, accessing almost all of the personal data stored on it, and some versions have been able to activate cameras and microphones.

Pegasus exploits zero-day vulnerabilities – security holes Apple doesn’t yet know about – but the iPhone maker has another way to fight back …

Starting with iOS 18.2, Apple has enhanced its with a special feature that makes locating lost luggage easier than ever. The “Share Item Location” capability requires adoption by airlines to work, and this week the busiest airline in America has announced its support.

The iPhone 16e represents a huge change from the third-gen iPhone SE it replaces. A modern design, OLED screen, Face ID, latest(ish) A18 chip, Apple Intelligence, 48MP camera sensor, 26-hour battery, USB-C, C1 modem, and more.

But there’s one other huge difference, and it’s this one which I think makes the latest entry-level iPhone a crucial experiment for the Cupertino company …

Apple Intelligence is available for iPhone 15 Pro and later, but there’s an exclusive feature for , which is Visual Intelligence. Some believed this was because the iPhone 15 Pro lacks Camera Control, but that all changed with the iPhone 16e – which supports Visual Intelligence. Now Apple has confirmed that the feature will soon be available to iPhone 15 Pro owners too.

A new feature debuting on the Oppo Find N5 will allow Mac users to control their machines from their smartphones, as well as better integrating their phone with macOS overall.

Apple achieved a major milestone yesterday, when it launched an iPhone with its own in-house modem instead of a Qualcomm one: the C1 chip.

This has been a key goal for the company for a great many years for two reasons, so finally ticking the box is a pretty big moment …